Fitzgerald’s CO and sailors standing watch face discipline in fatal collision

[Jeff L]

http://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2017/08/17/fitzgerald-co-other-sailors-to-be-disciplined-in-connection-to-fatal-collision/

Collision report and cabin damage pics.

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-military/2017/08/17/water-on-deck-get-out-the-navys-official-report-of-the-fitzgeralds-catastrophe-at-sea/

[jon_norstog]

This is about what I expected. Something like that goes down, the military looks for: Someone to court-martial, or someone to receive a medal. It often doesn't matter what happened, more like who uis looking at the reports.

In this case I think the Navy got it right.

In my case (1968, CGC Barataria) I figured i had a good chance of a court-martial but instead got the CG Medal. Go figure.

jn

[m1ashooter]

A night full of heroes. The crew responded and saved their shipmates and ship.

[Sunray]

The military looks for somebody to blame. Usually a volunteer enlisted man.
"...including the commanding officer..." It should only be the Commanding Officer. His boat. His responsibility. Aharrr!!!

[leftyo]

imo, it should be the CO, and OOD standing in front of a courts martial. the watch standers should face captains mast (njp). no idea how they came up with the CMC, as they are only a liason between XO and crew, and do very little else.

[Jiminvirginia]

This is about what I expected. Something like that goes down, the military looks for: Someone to court-martial, or someone to receive a medal. It often doesn't matter what happened, more like who uis looking at the reports.

In this case I think the Navy got it right.

In my case (1968, CGC Barataria) I figured i had a good chance of a court-martial but instead got the CG Medal. Go figure.

jn

What happened there Jon? Thought you were a hole snipe? They usually dont get the finger pointed at them in a collision. Or was this for the engineroom explosion?

[Jiminvirginia]

The military looks for somebody to blame. Usually a volunteer enlisted man.
"...including the commanding officer..." It should only be the Commanding Officer. His boat. His responsibility. Aharrr!!!

In my experience it has never been just the CO. His case makes the news. The enlisted sailors and junior officers who get disciplined? Rarely here about them.

[jon_norstog]

What happened there Jon? Thought you were a hole snipe? They usually dont get the finger pointed at them in a collision. Or was this for the engineroom explosion?

Yeah I was standing throttle watch in B-2. We were in restricted waters, Unimak Passage, when things went south. I called it in, then tried to fight the fire .. didn't work out that well, but I did get my oiler out alive and shut down the equipment. We had condition set, the Captain was on the bridge, B-1 was on standby, DCs and lookouts on station and everyone connected by sound-powered phone. I probably should have waited for orders to shut down the main engine and generator, but things were happening pretty fast.

Main Control informed the bridge but they were actually made aware up there by the fat gout of flames and smoke pouring out of the air intakes aft of the bridge... and the shaft RPM indicator dropping from 100 to zero.

If the Fitzgerald (and maybe the McCain) had been running with condition set at that level, things probably would have turned out a little better for them.

jn